Capsule finishing and inspecting machine



March 13, 1962 H. MERRILL ,5

CAPSULE FINISHING AND INSPECTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1960 INVENTOR. LELAN D H. MERRILL F'IG.4 BY

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ATTO R N EYS United States Patent T 3,024,582 CAPSULE FINISHING AND INSPECTIN G MACHINE Leland H. Merrill, 1243 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago, Ill. Filed Nov. 9, 1969, Ser. No. 68,266 Claims. (ill. 53-78) This invention relates generally to capsule handling machines, and more particularly to a machine for insuring the tight telescoping engagement of capsule halves, and facilitating the inspection of the capsule.

According to the present invention, the filled capsules, which are composed of generally cylindrical capsule halves in telescoping engagement with each other are delivered to an endless conveyor having a capsule conveying reach. The conveying reach is composed of a plurality of flights extending transversely of the direction of movement of the conveyor, each of such flights having capsule receiving pockets spaced therealong. Each of such pockets is arranged to hold the capsule while it moves beneath brushes and the like, which might tend to partially open the capsule, and then to a structure having converging side walls arranged to impose an endwise closing thrust on each capsule as it moves between the walls. Thereafter, the filled capsule moves past one of the inspectors who gives one half of the capsule visual inspection, and thereafter the capsule is turned through 180 so that the other side may be inspected by another inspector.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object of this invention to provide a machine for telescoping the cylindrical portions of a capsule to the proper dimension, and to provide means to turn the capsule so that all sides thereof can be inspected.

A further object is to provide a capsule finishing and inspecting machine characterized by an endless conveyor having flights arranged to receive a plurality of capsules, each such flight cooperating with structure for constricting the ends of the capsule so as to properly tighten the same, and to provide a simple structure for turning the capsule over so that both sides can be inspected.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following specification taken with the drawing, which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and spirit of the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a capsule finishing and inspecting machine having the embodiments according to the present invention embodied theirin;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of structure employed with the machine of FIG. 1 for placing an endwise thrust on the partly completed capsule so as to bring the capsule portions into proper telescoping engagement;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the structure as seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the machine seen in FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIG. 1, and showing the structure of FIG. 2 in operating position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of structure for turning the finished capsule through 180 so that a complete inspection thereof can be made, the position of said structure with reference to the machine being shown by the arrows 55 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view looking generally in the directions of the arrows 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the improved 3,024,582 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 capsule finishing and inspecting machine is referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes laterally spaced frame members 11 arranged to be supported upon feet 12. The machine 10 includes a feed hopper 13 mounted on the frame members 11 and arranged to discharge its contents upon an endless flight conveyor 14, see also FIG. 4. Flight conveyor 14 has a conveying reach 15 extending for the length of the frame members 11, and is reversed in direction at a conveyor drive housing 16. Conveyor drive housing 16 is arranged also to discharge capsules 17 into a suitable receiving hopper 18.

As the capsules move the length of the machine 10, they move past static eliminators 19 and past brushes 21, 21, the latter being driven by the same means driving the flight conveyor 14. Brushes 21, 21 are for polishing the capsules as they move on the conveying reach 15.

The capsules 17 are delivered to the flight conveyor 14 which has transverse extending flights 23 having generally cylindrical slots or recesses 22 therein. The axis of the recesses extends transversely of the direction of movement of the endless conveyor 14.

Structure for joining the flights 23 to an endless chain or endless belt is provided, and details of such structure form no part of the present invention and accordingly are not shown in detail.

Each of the capsules received in the recess 22 at the inby end of the conveyor 14 is formed of generally cylindrical telescoping capsule halves 24 and 26.

Because of the handling of the capsules and the operation thereon by the brushes, the capsule halves tend to partially open, but usually never enough to dislodge the pharmaceutical preparation contained therein.

Structure is accordingly provided for imposing an endwise thrust upon the ends of the capsule halves 24 and 26 to insure the snug telescoping engagement thereof, and such structure is referred to generally by the reference numeral 25. The structure 25 for completing the telescoping engagement of the capsule halves 24 and 25 includes a flat plate 27 supported at its ends upon the laterally spaced frame members 11, and secured to such frame members by screws 28. The structure 25 for imposing the endwise thrust upon the capsule halves 24 and 26 also includes a plate 29 secured in any convenient fashion to the underside of the fiat plate 27. Plate 29 has walls 31 extending downward therefrom, as seen more clearly in FIG; 3, and the walls 31, 31 are arranged in converging relationship in the direction of movement of the conveying reach 14. The walls 31 are spaced at their outby ends a distance smaller than the length of the recess 22 for transporting a capsule 17.

It will be seen thus far that the capsules which have been delivered from the hopper 13 to the conveying reach 14 are now telescoped to their proper length, and fully tightened.

Structure is provided for turning the capsules through so that all sides thereof can be properly inspected, and to this end each of the capsules is operated upon by a turn-over structure indicated generally by the reference numeral 30, see also FIGS. 5 and 6. The turnover structure 30 includes a support bar 32 extending transversely of the conveyor reach 15 and secured to the frame members 11 by screws 33, these also forming a means of adjustment of the support bar 32 vertically. A finger 34 extends generally in the direction of movement of the conveyor reach 15 and is secured by a screw 36 to the bar 32. The finger 34 is bent in the manner shown to provide an arched bight 37 and a generally depending U-shaped limb 38, having suitable friction material 39 mounted on the under-side thereof, and arranged to contact the capsule 17 as it moves therebeneath.

The finger 34 is made of spring-like flat stock and the amount of frictional contact of the friction material 39 with the capsule 17 can be adjusted by a set screw 41 which is tapped, as seen in FIG. 6, into the support bar 32. A small hole 42 is provided in the arch shaped bight 37 to receive a screw driver, not shown, to adjust the position of the slotted set screw 41, the set screw 41 normally being in contact with the underside of the arched bight 37.

It will be seen that the capsule 17 is rotated through an angle of 180 as the capsules on the conveyor reach, so that all sides of the finished capsule can be inspected. After being thus inspected, the finished capsule is moved to the outby end of the conveyor 14 to be discharged in the receptacle 18.

In the usual case, an inspector stands to one side of the machine between the structure and the turnover structure 36 to inspect one side of the capsule 17, while a second inspector stands between the structure and the discharge end of the conveyor 14, to inspect the other side of the capsule 17, after it has been turned through 180.

From the description foregoing, it is believed evident that there has been provided a new and useful improvement in a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules, the machine being capable of bringing the capsule portions into proper telescoping engagement, and thereafter being capable of turning the capsule through 180 so that all sides thereof can be inspected.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, its scope is not intended to be limited by the precise embodiment of the invention herein described and only by the claims here appended.

I claim:

1. In a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules having cylindrical telescoping capsule portions, an endless conveyor having a carrying reach including recesses therein adapted to receive and transport a capsule with its axis normal to the direction of movement of said carrying reach, structure for bringing the telescoping capsule portions into completed telescoped engagement comprising a pair of walls converging in the direction of movement of said reach, said walls being spaced a distance at their discharge ends smaller than the length of the recess transporting a capsule, and structure whereby to facilitate the inspection of the side of the capsule which has been concealed in said recess comprising a finger having friction material carried thereon and adapted to contact the cylindrical side of said capsule to roll the same approximately one-half turn.

2. In a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules having cylindrical telescoping capsule portions, a conveyor having a carrying reach including recesses therein adapted to receive and transporta capsule with its axis normal to the direction of movement of said carrying reach, structure for bringing the telescoping capsule portions into completed telescoped engagement comprising a pair of walls converging in the direction of movement of said reach, said walls being spaced a distance at their discharge ends smaller than the length of the recess transporting a capsule, and structure whereby to facilitate the inspection of the side of the capsule which has been concealed in said recess comprising a finger having friction material carried thereon and adapted to contact the cylindrical side of said capsule to roll the same approximately one-half turn, and means for adjusting the frictional contact of said friction material with said capsule.

3. In a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules of the type having cylindrical telescoping capsule portions, an endless conveyor having a carrying reach including recesses therein adapted to receive and transport a capsule with its axis normal to the direction of movement of said carrying reach, and structure for bringing the telescoping capsule portions into completed telescoped engagement comprising a pair of Walls converging in the direction of movement of said reach, said walls being spaced a distance at their discharge ends smaller than the length of the recess transporting capsule.

4. In a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules of the type having cylindrical telescoping capsule portions, an endless conveyor having a carrying reach including recesses therein adapted to receive and transport a capsule with its axis normal to the direction of movement of said carrying reach, structure for bringing the telescoping capsule portions into completed telescoped engagement, and structure whereby to facilitate inspection of the side of the capsule which has been concealed in said recess comprising a finger having friction material carried on said finger and adapted to contact the cylindrical side of said capsule to roll the same approximately one-half turn, and means for adjusting the frictional contact of said friction material with said capsule.

5. In a machine for finishing and facilitating the inspection of capsules of the type having cylindrical telescoping capsule portions, an endless conveyor having a carrying reach including recesses therein adapted to receive and transport a capsule having its axis normal to the direction of movement of said carrying reach, structure for bringing the telescoping capsule portions into completed telescoped engagement, structure whereby to facilitate the inspection of the side of the capsule which has been concealed in said recess comprising a finger extending generally in the direction of movement of said conveyor, and friction material carried on said finger and adapted to contact the cylindrical side of said capsule to roll the same approximately one-half turn.

Speckhart et al Feb. 22, 1938 Sickel June 17, 1958 

